Introduction: Joyful Post-Its
I'm lucky to work in a fun, upbeat office full of friendly, caring colleagues. But even the best office environments can begin to feel, well, grey after a while. I made this joyful Post-it note for my workspace, to remind myself to breathe, smile and be grateful throughout the day.
The difference between a Joyful Post-It and a handwritten note is intention. It's also fun to elevate the humble sticky note to a more refined level with a serif font and a contrasting border. I bet you'll keep your Joyful Post-It much longer than one with your chicken scratch on it, too!
The difference between a Joyful Post-It and a handwritten note is intention. It's also fun to elevate the humble sticky note to a more refined level with a serif font and a contrasting border. I bet you'll keep your Joyful Post-It much longer than one with your chicken scratch on it, too!
Step 1: Design
Choose any message you like. Since I wanted to work with a 3" square Post-It, I kept mine short and sweet.
I used the font Calligraph421 BT in my version of Microsoft Word. If you don't have it already, download it here.
36 was the right font size for my message; use the ruler in your word processor to make sure your message isn't too big.
Arrange your message in columns if you want to make a bunch.
I used the font Calligraph421 BT in my version of Microsoft Word. If you don't have it already, download it here.
36 was the right font size for my message; use the ruler in your word processor to make sure your message isn't too big.
Arrange your message in columns if you want to make a bunch.
Step 2: Print
We have lots of fun shades of paper that rarely get used. Today's the day!
It is possible to print directly onto a Post-It. Here is a nice tutorial on how to do that. However, the printer in my office doesn't like this method. The Post-Its can cause a jam. And everyone knows, paper jams are the opposite of love and happiness.
It is possible to print directly onto a Post-It. Here is a nice tutorial on how to do that. However, the printer in my office doesn't like this method. The Post-Its can cause a jam. And everyone knows, paper jams are the opposite of love and happiness.
Step 3: Trim
Use ye olde paper guillotine to trim up your messages. Use the handy grid lines to see how much border of Post-It you will have around your message, and trim away until you are quite pleased.
Step 4: Glue
Glue stick works great. Make sure to use a piece of scrap paper to get all the way into the corners of your message; you don't want to get glue all over your desk.
Step 5: Stick!
Stick your Joyful Post-It someplace where you will see it every day, and enjoy.
Step 6: Customize
You may find yourself busy making these for folks throughout your office. Something fun to try: Make a Joyful Post-It for a colleague, then a few days later replace it with a Snarky Post-It.